Vertically adjustable boat seat

ABSTRACT

A swivel chair mounted on a base secured to the floor of a boat. The seat of the chair is supported by a post locked in a vertically adjusted position to the base by a lock rod extending through the post and slots in a portion of the base telescopingly receiving the post.

United States Patent 51 Feb. 15, 1972 Ward [54] VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE BOAT SEAT [72] Inventor: Milton K. Ward, Monticello, Ark.

[73] Assignee: DuraCraft Boats, Inc.

[22] Filed: Jan. 28, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 6,502

I 52] US. Cl ..297/345, 297/349, 297/423,

248/407 7 [S1 int. Cl ..A47c 3/34 [58] Field of Search ..297/345, 349, 437, 423, 429;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 964,394 7/1910 Coddington ..248/407 965,113 7/1910 Kontantinides ..248/4 15 1,373,079 3/1921 King ..297/345 2,234,344 3/1941 Hedges .....248/415 2,935,120 5/1960 Naus ..297/345 3,151,910 10/1964 Larson. .....297/349 3,278,229 10/1966 Bates ..297/345 3,376,068 4/1968 Walkinshaw ..297/437 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 125,019 5/1949 Sweden ..297/345 Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel Attorney-Clarence A. O'Brien and Harvey B. Jacobson [571 ABSTRD ACT A swivel chair mounted on a base secured to the floor of a boat. The seat of the 'chair is supported by a post locked in a vertically adjusted position to the base by a lock rod extending through the post and slots in a portion of the base telescopingly receiving the post.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB is I972 3.642.320

5o E 64 66 Milton K. Ward INVENTOR.

VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE BOAT SEAT This invention relates to an adjustable chair assembly and more particularly to a chair assembly especially designed for occupancy within a boat. a

The mounting of chair assemblies within open boats for fishing and relaxation purposes, is well known Although chair assemblies of this type may be designed so as to be comfortable for most occupants, there is a problem of accommodating all occupants in connection with visibility relative to the boat in which the chair assembly is mounted. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a chair assembly which is adjustable is order to accommodate varying visibility requirements.

In accordance with the present invention, a swivel type of chair assembly is mounted on the floor of an open top boat in such a manner as to be vertically adjustable in accordance with different visibility requirements. The chair assembly may also be provided with a footrest which is supported at a constant distance below the seat portion of the chair assembly for all vertically adjusted positions thereof. The seat portion of the chair assembly is locked in a vertically adjusted position by means of a post extending therefrom in telescoping relation to a tubular portion of a base with a lock rod extending through aligned apertures in the post and adjustment slots formed in the tubular portion of the base. The footrest may be supported by means ofa collar resting on the lock rod.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a chair assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 22 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing certain disassembled portions of the chair assembly.

FIG. 4 is a partial side elevational view showing a typical installation of the chair assembly within a boat.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a chair assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 10, is shown installed within an open top boat 12 in FIG. 4 as an example of the type of installation for which the chair assembly is specially designed. As more clearly seen in FIG. 1, the chair assembly is mounted on the floor 14 of the boat by means ofa base generally referred to by reference numeral 16 on which a seat portion 18 is supported in a vertically adjusted position. A backrest portion 20 of the chair assembly is pivotally mounted on the seat portion for folding downwardly onto the seat portion from the erect position illustrated between a pair of armrests 22. A footrest 24 is also mounted on the base 16 of the chair assembly at a fixed distance below the seat portion 18 for all vertically adjusted positions thereof.

As more clearly seen in FIG. 2, the seat portion 18 includes a supporting plate 26 on which a seat cushion 28 is mounted and to which the back plate 30 of the backrest portion 20 is pivotally connected by the folding arms 32. The armrests 22 are mounted on the plate 26 in laterally spaced relation to the seat cushion 28 by means of the support members 34. A swivel assembly 36 is secured to the seat plate 26 for rotatably mounting the seat portion 18 about a vertical axis extending through a tubular post 38 on which the swivel assembly 36 is supported by means of the plate 40.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, radially extending braces 42 are secured to the upper end of the post 38 in order to impart the necessary rigidity and strength to the plate 40 for supporting any load on the seat portion 28 of the chair assembly. A pair of aligned apertures 44 are formed adjacent the lower end of the post 38 for receiving a lock rod 46 therethrough. Opposite end portions of the lock rod are externally threaded at 48 for removable mounting of cylindrical elements 50 that are internall threaded.

T e post 38 is telescopingly received within the tubular portion 52 of the base which extends upwardly from the base plate 54 having corner apertures 56 by means of which the base may be secured by fasteners 58 to the floor 14 of the boat. The tubular portion includes multiple slot formations 60 on diametrically opposite sides thereof. These slot formations include an elongated connecting slot portion 62 into which a plurality of adjustment slots 64 open. The lock rod 46 is adapted to be seated in one of the vertically spaced adjustment slots 64 in order to lock and support the post 38 through which it extends in a vertically adjusted position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the footrest 24 is mounted at the ends of a pair of angle bars66 that diverge from a mounting collar 68 encircling the tubular portion 52 of the base. The collar 68 rests on the lock rod 46 by means of which the footrest is supported at a fixed distance below the seat portion 18 which is also connected in axially fixed position to the upper end of the post 38.

It will be apparent, that by removing one element 50 from the lock rod 46, it may be withdrawn from assembled relation to the post 38 and tubular portion 52 of the base in order to change the vertical position of the post relative to the base. The lock rod may then be reinserted. Thus, the chairassembly is easily and effectively adjusted in a vertical direction.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a supporting surface, a chair assembly comprising a base secured to the supporting surface, a post extending upwardly from the base, a seat, means swivelly mounting the seat on the post, means for locking the post to the base in a vertically adjusted position, a footrest extending axially of said post, and means for rotatably mounting the footrest on the post in abutment with the locking means vertically spaced a constant distance from the seat for all vertically adjusted positions of the post.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the base includes a tubular portion telescopingly receiving the post and said mounting means for the footrest includes a collar rotatably encircling the tubular portion rotatably resting on the locking means extending through the tubular portion and the post such that said footrest may be selectively rotated independent of said seat.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the tubular portion includes a plurality of vertically spaced slots on each diametrically opposite side of the tubular portion and an elongated connecting slot on each side interconnecting the slots, the locking means including a lock rod extending through a pair of the plurality of diametrically opposite slots and through a pair of openings in the post, the footrest collar resting in sliding engagement on the lock rod. 

1. In combination with a supporting surface, a chair assembly comprising a base secured to the supporting surface, a post extending upwardly from the base, a seat, means swivelly mounting the seat on the post, means for locking the post to the base in a vertically adjusted position, a footrest extending axially of said post, and means for rotatably mounting the footrest on the post in abutment with the locking means vertically spaced a constant distance from the seat for all vertically adjusted positions of the post.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the base includes a tubular portion telescopingly receiving the post and said mounting means for the footrest includes a collar rotatably encircling the tubular portion rotatably resting on the locking means extending through the tubular portion and the post such that said footrest may be selectively rotated independent of said seat.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the tubular portion includes a plurality of vertically spaced slots on each diametrically opposite side of the tubular portion and an elongated connecting slot on each side interconnecting the slots, the locking means including a lock rod extending through a pair of the plurality of diametrically opposite slots and through a pair of openings in the post, the footrest collar resting in sliding engagement on the lock rod. 